Kalamazoo Running: MRG talks with Bonnie Sexton, president of Michigan’s largest running club

Going from 200 runners in 2004 to more than 1,400 members today, Kalamazoo Area Runners is the largest Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) running club in Michigan. This growth has taken place under the leadership of Bonnie Sexton, president of KAR and a certified running coach.

Bonnie joins Heather on the Michigan Runner Girl Show to talk all things running in Kalamazoo and the surrounding area. {Click on the player at the top of this post to listen to the episode} This region of the state boasts a thriving running scene, and Heather and Bonnie talk not only about KAR but also the numerous other running opportunities available, from races to training groups and camps.

Two upcoming events mentioned (with race discount codes for listeners!) during the show: Winter Blast Half Marathon, 10K and 5K on the Portage Trailway System on Feb. 26, 2017 and the popular Kal-Haven 33.5 Mile Ultra Trail Run and Relay on April 8. Heather also asks Bonnie about her own running journey, from track and field sprinter to endurance runner later in life — she has completed 38 marathons, including five Boston Marathons (she was at the 2014 race and talks about what it was like to be there a year after the Boston Marathon bombings). Bonnie is married and has three children. She and her family live in Mattawan, Mich.

Also featured on this episode: news about this spring’s North Mitten Half Marathon, 10K and 5K at Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville, Mich. Janice Davidson, race director and recreation director at the resort, joins Heather in the studio to talk about adding a 5K to this year’s event the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend (May 28) and the all-new post-race party at the top of the slopes. A race discount for this event is mentioned for listeners to take advantage of, too.